Practice ammunition capable of cycling a recoil-operated firearm has been described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,785,293 to Barr et al. Such ammunition has a projectile with a frangible casing and finely-divided filling, which disintegrates and disperses its contents upon exiting the barrel. Due to the mass of the filling, the recoil and report of regular ammunition is provided, without the lethal risks of emitting a high velocity round.
For purposes of training, it is desirable to have a firearm emit a round that is capable of marking targets. For such purposes, at short ranges, it is not necessary for the projectile to have the mass of a regular bullet. In fact, for safety purposes, it is preferable that such a projectile have a low penetrating capacity, while at the same time remaining ballistically true at short ranges.
It would also be useful to provide a round of less than lethal character which nevertheless can be designed to achieve varying degrees of carriage and striking force, while still providing for the normal operation of self-loading weapons.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,433,157 to E. Joch, describes a practice projectile that combines a disintegrating casing, packed with a dispersible mass of particles, with a subcalibre marking projectile. The marking projectile is mounted within a centrally located tube within the principal projectile, such tube serving as a barrel for the marking projectile. This marking projectile is released from the main, outer projectile either during passage through the barrel or upon exiting from the muzzle of a firearm. The larger projectile, due to its frangible casing, breaks up in flight and disperses its heavy mass of contained particles within a relatively short range.
In the Joch invention special provisions control the advance of the marking projectile within its own barrel in synchronization with the advancement of the larger projectile down the barrel upon firing. The objects of these provisions are to ensure that the marking projectile is clear of the larger projectile when the larger projectile disintegrates, thus assuring that such disintegration does not interfere with the trajectory of the marking projectile.
Other references of possible, though less relevant, interest in this field include U.S. Pat. No.'s 2,835,198; 3,385,215; 3,898,933; 3,570,406; 4,942,818; 4,895,076; 4,716,835; 2,851,991; 3,090,309; 3,435,769; 2,439,619; and 3,463,047.
While the Joch patent describes a system for containing a marking round within a disintegrating projectile, it does not provide for a marking round which is full calibre in size. Further, the marking projectile cannot readily be variably controlled in respect of its effective range and striking power. The marking projectile in Joch is still of relatively lethal design and has a substantial, extended range capability. Lastly, the Joch concept is complicated by the presence of the small calibre barrel.
Accordingly, it is one of the objects of this invention to overcome these deficiencies and produce ammunition for self-loading weapons that have a ballistically reliable, target-marking capacity combined with a limited range and reduced penetrating capacity.
The invention in its general form will first be described, and then its implementation in terms of specific embodiments will be detailed with reference to the drawings following hereafter. These embodiments are intended to be exemplary, demonstrating the principle of the invention and the manner of its implementation. The invention in its broadest and more specific aspects will then be further described, and defined, in each of the individual claims which conclude this specification.